The corresponding designs are tailored for a specific flight regime ( e.g., cruise) to provide the optimum performance. Most aircraft employ wing designs that exhibit compromises due to the limitations of fixed wing shape geometry. Novel and refined aerostructure designs with enhanced fuel efficiency and aerodynamic performance constitute a critical design requirement for the conception of next generation aircraft.
![wire library memory wire library memory](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/009/892/medium800/adafruit_products_microsdwiring.jpg)
The SMA-enabled torsional morphing capability is also demonstrated experimentally through a tensegrity twisting wing prototype equipped with commercially available SMA wire actuators. The most favorable design demonstrates a maximum twist angle of 15.85° and a mass of 2.02 kg without exceeding the material stress limits.
![wire library memory wire library memory](https://www.reade.com/images/product_images/alloys_metal_inorganic/Shape-Memory-Alloys.jpg)
A design of experiment study is performed to evaluate the influence of the topological and geometrical design parameters on performance responses such as twist angle and mass. A finite element model that integrates the wing, tensegrity mechanism, and SMA wire actuators is created to assess the stresses, maximum attainable twist angle, and structural mass of the wing. The combination of a lightweight and compact tensegrity mechanism and SMA wire actuators eliminates the need for bulky components such as hydraulic and electric actuators to enhance the flight performance. Befitting for the actuation of the tensegrity mechanism due to their rod form, SMA wire actuators are incorporated to reconfigure the wing shape through thermally driven material actuation. The morphing capability of the wing is enabled through an integrated lightweight tensegrity mechanism, which provides twisting motion through elongation/contraction of the SMA wires. Computational fluid dynamic analyses confirmed superior lift-to-drag ratio of the twisting wing when compared to a conventional wing with a control surface. The continuous and smooth wing surface lessens aerodynamic drag to enhance aerodynamic efficiency.
![wire library memory wire library memory](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_hksf25PqXU/U3M4vN5YvEI/AAAAAAAAALk/IRp0BWGVZfk/s1600/DSC_0012.jpg)
The studied wing design circumvents conventional control surfaces such as hinged flaps and ailerons through the implementation of a smooth wing shape that twists to modulate its flight characteristics. A modeling, experimental prototyping, and computational design exploration study of a morphing wing enabled by a tensegrity mechanism and actuated by shape memory alloy (SMA) wires is presented in this work.